Smart Jocks?

ESPN's Page 2 presents a study which found that student athletes might be more intelligent than the stereotype (damn these stereotypes *shakes fist*!) might suggest.

There are some concerns with the measurement of the intangible categories the researchers used, and it's true that student athletes, in general, start a bit lower on the academic ladder, thus have more room for improvement, but I believe some of the speculation on why this might be.

The resources (college) student athletes get is a very important aspect in all this; the study hall hours, the tutors, the (general) support from professors, it can go a long way.  The need for amazing time management skills, should the athlete desire to be successful both on and off the court, is also far more useful in the business world than a number between 0 and 4.

Other categories apply to (team) sports in general, though, not necessarily being a student athlete.  I've been involved in sports ever since I can remember, and made my middle school soccer team and high school basketball team (disclaimer: high school basketball team was in Canada, where the competition for basketball is greatly diminished by the more popular winter sport known as hockey), and I developed leadership and communication, and some critical thinking and self-awareness, just from participating.

I think kids should participate in sports because of the sort of commitment and relationship skills you need to develop, being in a social and competitive setting, so I don't think the research is necessarily off.  I just believe that giving jocks a free pass because they're jocks is not doing them any good.  It's tough to deny that the NCAA and college sports culture takes advantage of some of their student athletes.  Student athletes should be held to similar academic standards as non-athletes (I say similar because other students don't have to commit such a crazy amount of time to non-academic endeavors).

Then again, I think the education system in general needs to stop giving people free passes... Gotta start somewhere.